Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), is a first-person shooter game, was created by Valve and Hidden Path Entertainment in 2012 as the fourth instalment in the Counter-Strike series. It took over two years to develop, and it was launched in August 2012 for OS X, PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360, and later in 2014 for Linux. The game is designed for multiplayer tactical gameplay.
According to Steam Charts by Steam DB, CS:GO is the most played game on Steam with more than 590,000 players worldwide and with an all-time peak of more than 1.4 million players (at the time of writing). CS:GO is also one of Valve’s most popular and lucrative games, generated USD257 million in revenue in 2020.
And now, after more than 10 years since the released of CS:GO, Valve has finally announced a replacement for the massively popular multiplayer FPS game.
The replacement will be known as Counter-Strike 2 (CS 2), it will remain free with no changes in gameplay and game design but it focuses more on a technical and visual overhaul.
3D Volumetric Smokes
First of all, Valve revamped the smoke effect. Valve said it’s now 3D dynamic volumetric objects that interact with the environment, and react to lighting, gunfire, and explosions.
Better Servers Tick Rate
Secondly, the servers tick rate also got a huge upgrade. Valve calls it “sub-tick updates” and they claim the servers know the “exact instant that motion starts, a shot is fired, or a ‘nade is thrown.”
Valve added that your firing and moving will therefore be similarly responsive regardless of tick rate, and your grenades will always land in the same location.
Maps Overhauls
There are three “tiers” of maps in the games. “Full Overhaul Maps” are maps have been fully rebuilt from the ground up, using Source 2 engine.
“Upgraded Maps” are maps that use new Source 2 lighting, including a physically based rendering system that produces realistic materials, lighting, and reflections.
“Touchstone Maps” are classic maps with minor changes to lighting and character read that players can use to evaluate gameplay changes from CS:GO to CS 2.
Overall, Valve didn’t touch the layouts of the maps, just improving it visually. Valve also said they will release the Source 2 tools and rendering features for fans to make their own maps.
Valve also made some UI changes, new visual effects, and audio enhancement.
When Can I Play Counter-Strike 2?
According to the FAQs, Valve said the limited test is only open for players based on a number of factors deemed important by the development team, including (but not limited to) recent playtime on Valve official servers, trust factor, and Steam account standing.
If you are chosen to participate in the Limited Test, you will receive a notification on the main menu of CS:GO.
You can only now play the Limited Test in Deathmatch and “unranked competitive matchmaking” modes on the iconic Dust2 map, though Valve promises that additional modes and maps will be included in later test releases. Moreover, the test is only accessible on Windows for now.
Besides that, all of your weapon finishes, stickers, and other CS:GO inventory items will be available to use in CS 2.
Valve said they will ship CS 2 in the summer of 2023 (between 21 June – 23 September).
